SCIENCE 9

Environmental Problems

Environmental change is defined as a change or disturbance in the environment caused primarily by human
influences and natural ecological processes. It does not only include physical changes, but also things like invasive
species infestations, increased mortality of the human and animal species, destruction of natural habitat and damage
to the quality of soil, water and air. Environmental problems are the negative consequences of human activity on the
biophysical environment. Human-caused environmental destruction is a global and ongoing issue. Many changes occur
in the communities. Some areas were destroyed as a result of natural disasters or human activity.

1. Waste production 8. Ozone layer depletion

• Not only does this create explosion hazards, but • As ozone depletes, more ultraviolet (UVB) radiation
methane also ranks as the worst of the greenhouse reaches the Earth's surface. UVB has been linked to skin
gases because of its high global warming potential. cancer and eye disease, as well as affecting plant life
2. Population growth and causing a decrease in plankton in marine
• This results in a number of issues, such as a lack of environments.
fresh water, habitat loss for wild animals, overuse of 9. Ocean acidification
natural resources and even species extinction. • This increase in acidification can have direct effect on
3. Water pollution calcifying species, such as shellfish.
• Water pollution can have harmful effects outside and 10. Air pollution
the contamination of the water we drink. It also disrupts • It is directly linked to other environmental issues, such
marine life, sometimes altering their reproductive cycles as acid rain and eutrophication. Animals and humans
and increasing mortality rates. are also at risk of developing a number of health
4. Deforestation problems due to air pollution.
• This results in loss of habitat for many species, placing 11. Lowered biodiversity
many at risk and leading to large-scale extinction. • A lack of biodiversity means that future generations
5. Urban sprawl will have to deal with increasing vulnerability of plants to
• Has been linked to environmental issues like air and pests and fewer sources of fresh water.
water pollution increases, in addition to the creation of 12. Polar ice caps
heat-islands. • Melting of polar ice caps could lead to extensive
6. Overfishing flooding, contamination of drinking water and major
• Causes an imbalance in ocean life, severely affecting changes in ecosystems.
the natural ecosystems. Furthermore, it has a negative 13. Climate change
impact on coastal communities whose economies rely • It disrupts the Earth's temperature equilibrium and has
on fishing. far-reaching consequences for humans and the
7. Acid rain environment. Because of the increased concentration of
• Acid rain's ecological effects are most visible in aquatic greenhouse gases, the energy balance and thus the
environments such as streams, lakes, and marshes, temperature of the Earth change during the course of
where it can harm fish and other wildlife. Acidic rain global warming, which has a significant impact on
humans and the environment.
water can leach aluminum from soil clay particles as it
14. Poaching
flows through the soil and into streams and lakes. • It is the illegal trade and slaughter of wildlife. Animal
and plant parts are sometimes sold as trophies or folk
medicines, and other times as pets or houseplants.

Causes of Extinction
Life depends on life. Animals cannot exist without green plants. Living things create niche for other living
things. But what happens if the living conditions of these organisms are not ideal for their survival?
Human activities and natural disasters both contribute significantly to the deterioration of our planet. As the human
population grows, so does the demand for various resources. Food, medicine, shelter, and space to build are all in
high demand. As a result, people engage in activities that significantly alter the environment. Our forests, which
provide habitat for worms, insects, arachnids, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, and other organisms,
are being destroyed as a result of Kaingin farming or slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging, and
conversion of agricultural areas to housing projects. These activities result in the removal of a large number of
trees, thereby removing the forest cover. This leads to siltation, flooding, and soil erosion, all of which have long-term
consequences. Siltation damages coral reefs, shallows bodies of water, and suffocates aquatic organisms, resulting in
a decrease in wildlife resources and, eventually, extinction. Deforestation is also exacerbated by typhoons and forest
fires. It destroys vast swaths of forested land, depriving species of their habitat.
Overfishing also happens in large parts of the ocean through the use of cyanide (for aquarium fish),
dynamite, and inappropriate size of nets. Muro- ami fishing is also applied in areas with coral reefs. Pollution also
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contributes to species extinction. In lakes, rivers and ponds the major problem is eutrophication. This is caused by
nutrient from domestic wastes and runoffs from lands (e.g. ricefield). A “fish kill “usually happens when there is a
large concentration of nutrients in bodies of water. Too much nutrients causes algal bloom and growth of aquatic
plants. When they die and undergo decomposition, they used up oxygen in water. As a result, aquatic animals die due
to lack of oxygen. Toxic wastes like polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB’s) produced in the making of paint, inks, and
electrical insulators also pollute the water. These become concentrated in the tissues of organisms through biological
magnification and cannot be excreted from their bodies. There are heavy metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium
from factories. Plastics also pollute waterways. When they reach the sea, they may be eaten by sea creatures like
large animals.
In the air, some of the pollutants are nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons from motor vehicles. It reacts with
water vapor or dust particles and produced new irritating chemicals. Burning coals in factories and power plants
produces sulfur dioxide with choking odor. Tiny particles of soot, dust and smoke are also produced. These
particulates block sunlight. When we breathe, it may enter our lungs. Pollution also affects the species of animals. The
Philippine Eagle, considered the rarest and second largest eagle in the world, mate in the air at high altitudes lays
only one egg every two years. Pollution makes the eggshell thin and not hatch.
The trapping of heat by carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere is called the greenhouse effect. The
greenhouse effect is a natural process where a continuous increase in the amount of these gases intensifies heat. The
presence of nitrogen oxides and sulfur makes the rain more acidic resulting in acid precipitation. This is harmful to
living things. It makes the yellowing of leaves of plants and loss of nutrients from the soil. Overcollection or over
harvesting also poses a serious problem in the environment. It deprives some species’ chance to reach maturity and
reproduce.
The Philippines is home for diverse organisms. Its climate favors the growth of different populations of
organisms. But unfortunately, natural and anthropogenic causes threaten species resulting to their declining numbers
and sometimes extinction. The rate at which species disappears or becomes extinct is difficult to determine.
• Extinction is the disappearance of a species when the last of its members dies.
• Endangered species is a species in which the number of individuals falls so low that extinction is possible.
• Threatened species are species that have rapidly decreasing numbers of individuals.
• Mass extinction is the disappearance of huge members of species in a relatively short period of time.

Based on the fossil record, the baseline extinction rate is about one species per every one million species per
year. The current rate of extinction is at least 100-1,000 times nature intended. This is due to human interference.
Most of the environmental problems today are caused by human activities and population explosion. People must
realize that changing the way they interact with nature will ensure survival of all living things. It is clear that
maintaining the resources needed for survival while ensuring its availability in the future is a great responsibility. Let
us all remember that “sustainable development” is the key.

Activity 1: Directions: Look at the pictures below and identify the kind of environmental problem each
picture represents.
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Activity 2: Directions: Read the information about the causes of extinction and complete the table below by
identifying at least five human activities or natural calamities and their effects to the environment and to wildlife
species.

FEATURES AND IMPORTANCE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RESPIRATION

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Plants, algae and cyanobacteria are the only organisms capable of performing photosynthesis. They use light
to make their own food, they are called PHOTOAUTOTROPHS (self-feeders using light). Other organisms, such as
animals, fungi, and other bacteria are called HETEROTROPHS (other feeders). They get their food produced by
autotrophs for their energy needs. Another group of bacteria called CHEMOAUTOTROPHS (chemo-feeders), use
sugar not light energy in extracting energy from inorganic compounds.
Photosynthesis is a process where autotrophs undergo to convert the light energy from the sun into
chemical energy. The chemical energy is a molecule of sugar called GLUCOSE. Plants and other organisms use this for
food.
Two Major Reactions Of Photosynthesis
1. light dependent reactions - which requires light
2. light independent reactions - which may or may not require light to takes place

How important is light independent reactions to organisms?

Light independent reactions are vital for the existence of most organisms. This process takes molecules of carbon
straight out of the air and turns them into plant matter. If this process does not take place, plants from the base of
the energy pyramid would be unable to store energy in a form that herbivores could digest. Carnivores would
subsequently not have access to energy stored in the bodies of herbivores.

LIGHT DEPENDENT REACTIONS

The light reaction of light dependent reaction occurs in the chloroplast of the mesophyll cells of the leaves. The
chloroplasts are double-membraned cell organelles that are comprised of stacked disc-like structures known as
thylakoids. The pigment, chlorophyll, which is required for the process is present on the membrane of these thylakoids
and this is where the light reaction occurs.
The Steps Involved in the Light Reaction
The main purpose of the light reaction is to generate organic energy molecules such as ATP and NADPH which are
needed for the subsequent dark reaction.
1. Chlorophyll absorbs the red and blue segment of the white light and photosynthesis occurs most efficiently at
these wavelengths.
2. When the light falls on the plant, the chlorophyll pigment absorbs this light and electrons in it gets excited.
3. This process occurs in a complex protein system which is collectively called as a photosystem. There are two
closely linked photosystems known as PSI and PSII.
4. The chlorophyll pigments which are excited give up their electrons and to compensate for the loss of
electrons, water is split to release four H+ ions and four electrons and O2.
5. The electrons that are lost from the PSII enter into an electron transfer chain or ETC. The electrons finally
reach the reaction center where they combine with NADP+ and reduce it to NADPH
6. While the electrons are taken care of, the built up of H+ ions inside the thylakoid lumen is of equal
importance.
7. The hydrogen ions building up inside the lumen creates a positive gradient and in the presence of the enzyme
ATP synthetase, these H+ ions combine with the ADP in the nearby region to form ATP.
8. The oxygen that is a waste product is released by the plant into the atmosphere and some of it is used in
photorespiration if the plant needs to.
To summarize the light reaction, we can write it down as the following reaction:
2H2O + 2NADP+ + 3ADP + 3Pi → O2 + 2NADPH + 3ATP
For any plant performing photosynthesis, four factors influence this process. CO2, water, light, and chlorophyll
are the raw materials for photosynthesis. But, in case of light dependent reaction or light reaction of photosynthesis, it
is most influenced by presence or absence of light. The other three factors do not play a critical role in it.

LIGHT INDEPENDENT REACTION OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

In the light-independent reactions or Calvin cycle, the energized electrons from the light-dependent reactions
provide the energy to form carbohydrates from carbon dioxide molecules. The light-independent reactions are
sometimes called the Calvin cycle because of the cyclical nature of the process.

Although the light-independent reactions do not use light as a reactant (and as a result can take place at day
or night), they require the products of the light-dependent reactions to function. The light-independent molecules
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depend on the energy carrier molecules, ATP and NADPH, to drive the construction of new carbohydrate molecules.
After the energy is transferred, the energy carrier molecules return to the light-dependent reactions to obtain more
energized electrons. In addition, several enzymes of the light-independent reactions are activated by light.
The endergonic light-independent reactions of photosynthesis use the
ATP and NADPH synthesized during the exergonic light-dependent
reactions to provide the energy for the synthesis of glucose and other
organic molecules from inorganic carbon dioxide and water. This is
done by "fixing" carbon atoms from CO2 to the carbon skeletons of
existing organic molecules. These reactions occur in the stroma of
the chloroplasts.
Stage 1: Fixation
In the stroma, in addition to CO2, two other components are present
to initiate the light-independent reactions: an enzyme called ribulose
bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBisCO), and three molecules of ribulose
bisphosphate (RuBP). RuBP has five atoms of carbon, flanked by two
phosphates. RuBisCO catalyzes a reaction between CO2 and RuBP.
For each CO2 molecule that reacts with one RuBP, two molecules of
another compound (3-PGA) form. PGA has three carbons and one
phosphate. Each turn of the cycle involves only one RuBP and one carbon dioxide and forms two molecules of 3-PGA.
The number of carbon atoms remains the same, as the atoms move to form new bonds during the reactions (3 atoms
from 3CO2 + 15 atoms from 3RuBP = 18 atoms in 3 atoms of 3-PGA). This
Electron transport chain moves high energy e- and transports H+ inside the thylakoids. Hydrogen ion movement
makes the outside - and inside +. Photosystem II absorbs light and breaks up water. ATP formation – H+ move
outside the membrane and ATP synthase creates ATP. This process is called carbon fixation, because CO2 is “fixed”
from an inorganic form into organic molecules.
Stage 2: Reduction
ATP and NADPH are used to convert the six molecules of 3-PGA into six molecules of a chemical called glyceraldehyde
3-phosphate (G3P). That is a reduction reaction because it involves the gain of electrons by 3-PGA. Recall that a
reduction is the gain of an electron by an atom or molecule. Six molecules of both ATP and NADPH are used. For ATP,
energy is released with the loss of the terminal phosphate atom, converting it into ADP; for NADPH, both energy and
a hydrogen atom are lost, converting it into NADP+. Both of these molecules return to the nearby light dependent
reactions to be reused and reenergized.
Stage 3: Regeneration
Only one of the G3P molecules leaves the Calvin cycle and is sent to the cytoplasm to contribute to the formation of
other compounds needed by the plant. Because the G3P exported from the chloroplast has three carbon atoms, it
takes three “turns” of the Calvin cycle to fix enough net carbon to export one G3P. But each turn makes two G3Ps,
thus three turns make six G3Ps. One is exported while the remaining five G3P molecules remain in the cycle and are
used to regenerate RuBP, which enables the system to prepare for more CO2 to be fixed. Three more molecules of
ATP are used in these regeneration reactions.
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CELLULAR RESPIRATION
The process of converting chemical energy into energy is called CELLULAR RESPIRATION.
two types of cellular respiration
1. aerobic respiration
2. anaerobic respiration
Aerobic respiration is the process of cellular respiration that takes place in the presence of oxygen gas to produce
energy from food. In the presence of oxygen, the oxidation of glucose that begins in glycolysis continues where
glycolysis leaves off with pyruvate.
Anaerobic respiration does not require oxygen gas in the process.

The overall mechanism of cellular respiration involves three processes:

1. Glycolysis - glucose molecules are broken down to form pyruvic acid molecules
2. Krebs cycle - pyruvic acid is further broken down and the energy in its molecule is used to form high energy
compounds, such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)
3. Electron transport system (ETC) - electrons are transported along a series of coenzymes and cytochromes and
the energy in the electrons is released and the energy given off by electrons pumps protons across a
membrane and provides the energy for ATP synthesis
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FEATURES AND IMPORTANCE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RESPIRATION

A. Directions: Identify which raw materials and which are the products by putting a check mark in the
appropriate column below.

B. Directions: Tell whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE. Write your answer on the blank provided.
__________1. A light from the sun, known as photon, provides necessary energy in the light reactions of
photosynthesis.
__________2. Water is the source of oxygen as the light ‘s by-product.
__________3. Water splits into two (hydrogen ions and oxygen) which provides as a source of atoms and electrons
during light reactions.
__________4. NADPH and ATP are products of light reactions.
__________5. Light dependent reactions take place in the stroma of the chloroplast.

C. Directions: Based on the concepts presented above, answers the following questions briefly:
1. What is light dependent reactions of photosynthesis?

2. Where do the light dependent reactions occur?

3. What are needed for the light dependent reactions to occur?

4. What are the different stage of light dependent reactions of photosynthesis?

5. What are the products of light dependent reactions of photosynthesis?

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D. Directions: Identify which are raw materials and which are the products of light independent reactions by
putting a check mark in the appropriate column below.